Hi I'm Jenn...and I'm a Chocoholic (2 yummy treat recipes)

This week I have had a serious hankerin' for some chocolate! For me chocolate is the answer to pretty much everything. When I'm trying to keep my nutrition on point I have a favorite recipe that both kicks my chocolate craving to the curb while nourishing my body. When I want a yummy treat and I don't care if it's good for my health...I go for something sinful! This week I've already had both...and it's not even Friday! 

My daughter takes an interest in the kitchen which both makes me proud, and also frustrated because it's harder to stay strong when there are treats around the house! She has a fondness for Pinterest much like myself, and this week she found the "Copycat Wendy's Frosty" recipe. I had probably pinned this myself about 3 years ago but never made it. The beauty of this recipe is it literally has 3 ingredients...the downside is that it tastes so good I can't stop eating it! In our family it's always been a tradition to make homemade ice cream for birthdays, I always take it to the next level with some crazy homemade cake to go alongside. We are no strangers to homemade ice cream, and if you've never had it, you're totally missing out. However, everyone generally prefers vanilla ice cream, or cookies & cream...so most of my experience is with these flavors. Our ice cream maker bit the dust after a birthday last year, so for our Wendy's Frosty recipe, I borrowed my mom's. She has the Cuisinart 2 Qt. automatic ice cream maker, and after using that, I don't think I can go back to my electric ice cream maker that calls for ice, ice cream salt, & a more time consuming mess to go with it!

So, without further delay...the recipe- this recipe is for a 2 quart machine, so adjust from there as needed!

3 Ingredient Copycat Wendy's Frosty

• 6 oz. whipped topping
• 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 gallon chocolate milk

Method:

I  mixed the whipped topping & sweetened condensed milk together first in a bowl with a whisk. Then I added in about 4 cups of the chocolate milk and whisked that together. I emptied these contents into the bowl of the ice cream machine, and fitted the auger & lid on, then we poured more chocolate milk in up to the fill line. We didn't use a whole 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk for the recipe, but different ice cream makers might take more. Then you turn on the ice cream machine, and walk away to watch the new episode of Pretty Little Liars, which is what we did. About 20 minutes later, it was ready to go! We like our frosty's the way they serve them at Wendy's, not frozen, more like soft serve. 

Reese mixing up the ingredients

Adding more milk to the fill line

Look at that deliciousness!

These were super simple to make, and oh so delicious! I would say they tasted if not EXACTLY like the real deal, then darn close! We will be making these again.

This is the consistency we were going for

I have the cutest helper!

You're probably wondering what my other recipe is then? I'm happy to answer, I stumbled upon this one again, on Pinterest, and I've been making these for at least the last 3 years when I need a chocolate fix! I call these my peanut butter-chocolate scotchies...they are in no way a scotchie, they don't include rice cereal, but something about that peanut butter & chocolate combo reminds me of them. I found them at New Nostalgia via Pinterest and I vary the way I make mine, but my recipe is adapted from hers. For arguments sake, let's call them Chocolate & PB Oat Bars :D

No Bake Chocolate & PB Oat Bars

• 1 cup natural peanut butter (I use crunchy bc that's my fav)
• 2/3 cup raw honey
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups gluten free oats (not instant)
• 1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

I measure out my oats & dark chocolate chips into a bowl and set those aside. On the stove top I put the honey, coconut oil, and peanut butter in a pan and melt together stirring frequently over medium heat. Once melted, I pour the mixture over my oats & chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Then I stir everything using a spatula and pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 dish prepped with parchment paper. Then you smooth everything out, and let it set up in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, depending on how cold your fridge is! Then, cut them into squares and enjoy!! Keep extras in the fridge, they probably freeze well too, but they don't last that long at our house. 

dry ingredients

melted pb, coconut oil, & honey

Don't be fooled by the appearance...these are amazing

These have a fudge like consistency because of the coconut oil, and a little crunch from the peanut butter, and chewiness from the oats...they're DELISH! Now that I'm writing all of this out...I'm thinking it might be best to dip an oat bar INTO a frosty tonight before volleyball!!! :D

Nacho Average Bean Dip (Hummus Recipe)

Last week, I guess I didn't think keeping up with my family was enough for me to do on a Wednesday night. So when I was making homemade 'Charlie Boys' (which is essentially a tavern) paying homage to the amazing Midwest delicacy found only here in Sioux City, Iowa at Miles Inn...I figured I'd make a couple of healthy sides to go with it. Of course an entire deliciously ripe seedless watermelon is a staple at our house ever since I was about 30 weeks pregnant with Tri because I have an unquenchable addiction to them, but I wanted something else to go with it. I looked in the pantry and the fridge, I had some baby carrots...what else goes better with raw carrots than HUMMUS! 

The weekend before, my sister brought some homemade hummus to the pool and she had added cilantro to it,  I could've eaten the whole bowl by myself! I LOVE cilantro, it's a tasty herb that you can find fresh at almost every grocery store, and I think it goes amazing in EVERYTHING. There is a small percentage of the population that think cilantro tastes like soap...look it up, it's true. I, however, am not one of those people, I love cilantro on anything, eggs, sandwiches, soups, salads, you name it! Cilantro naturally detoxifies your body which makes it a powerhouse flavor boosting herb. So, I thought I'd make my own version of a homemade hummus and share with you what I came up with!

I wanted to keep it simple, so I looked up a basic hummus recipe on my beloved Pinterest, I already planned to add cilantro to the mix...and then make it my own from there! My sister's called for taco seasoning and you all know how I feel about prepackaged seasonings...too many additives! Here's what you'll need:

Homemade Hummus

• cilantro- about 1/2 cup
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil
• garbanzo beans/ chick peas-drained & rinsed
• 1 clove garlic minced, or 1/2 tsp ready-minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP water

I put all of my ingredients into my food processor and mixed until I liked the consistency. I tasted it, and as per usual, I added (without measuring) some things from there...here's what I added going off of taste, but I'm guesstimating amounts!

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• some fresh lemon zest ( lime would be great also)
• a dash of cayenne pepper
• another 1/4+ cup of cilantro
• another 2-3 TBSP lemon juice

Anyway, this was simple, but super refreshing & a hit at the table. Don't get me wrong I don't discriminate against store bought hummus, in fact I like the whole line Sabra has to offer...but sometimes you just need to make something yourself to see how simple it is. I of course love that homemade means there aren't any artificial colors, flavors, or additives in the recipe. Give this a try and see what you think! I served ours with baby carrots, but this would be great on a veggie tray, or with pita chips, crackers...or just on a spoon!

My Cloth Diapering Crusade

Today I want to update you readers, and mamas out there on my cloth diapering experience so far. If you read my blog post Cloth Diapering 101 then you read about my plans and visions of grandeur for this diapering experience. You'd know that I plan to save the world one cloth diaper at a time, and that I alone hold the key to my kids, grandkids, and great grandkids future world because I won't be filling the landfills with thousands of unnecessary disposable diapers. Well, at least that's how I approached this goal...as pretty much anything else, I like to shoot for the moon! 

My plan was simple, for the first week after baby A's arrival I planned to use these seventh generation plant based, chemical free disposable diapers while my milk came in and he had eliminated all of the meconium from his system. If you don't know what meconium is, it's the dark green, tar-like feces that makes up a newborn's first few bowel movements...isn't motherhood GLAMOROUS!?! :D Anyway, I had read numerous blogs suggesting to use disposable diapers through this time period, because unlike breast fed baby poo, this stuff is hard to wash out of your cloth diapers. Quite honestly I find it hard to completely wipe off your baby during diaper changes without feeling like you're taking a layer of skin with it! He quickly worked the meconium out of his system having multiple dirty diapers each day (he's an over achiever already!) and by the time his umbilical cord stump fell off, it was time to roll up my sleeves and put my big girl pants on!

I was so prepared, I had done my research, my homework, I had practiced how to use the diapers, the snappies, the diaper covers...I was already a pro in my mind! Then, the moment of truth...it was a good thing Tri was not very squirmy because I was all thumbs, fumbling, getting frustrated, worrying...and alas, the diaper was on! I promptly took his picture to document my success, shared it with family members, and went about our day. I spoke with my midwife at length about cloth diapering, because she has four kids and a lot of experience with it, and she's also my hero! Sarah suggested changing the cloth diapers every 2 hours, especially at the newborn stage, but she said after that length of time, you could have a mess exiting the diaper. So, two hours on the dot I went to change Tri's diaper...I unsnapped his diaper cover to reveal a soaked through diaper insert. Unlike disposable diapers, that wick the wetness away, the prefold insert was soaked when I touched it...I guess I don't know what exactly I expected, but I was disappointed. I felt like a bad mother letting my child soak through this cloth, sitting with a wet diaper around him, I felt like a failure, I started questioning my crusade...my very being! I got a dry insert, put it underneath him, wiped him down, and using the snappie, fashioned a dry diaper on him, and then snapped up the diaper cover. The wet inserts go into a 'wet bag' which is essentially a zip up cloth bag with a waterproof lining. 

After about 3 days of cloth diapering I was beginning to get the hang of it, I didn't feel so bad about his wet diapers, and changed them frequently enough that they aren't always completely soaked...but still wet. I also ditched the snappies because they are a pain to try and put on the diaper and feel confident that nothing sharp will impale your tiny child...and because really with the diaper covers I have, I've found it's easier without them! Mine and my husband's favorite inserts for ease of use as well as containing messes, are also the cheapest ones I bought, the prefolds! That's good news looking ahead because I'll need more and bigger sizes as Tri gets older, and they are very cost effective. 

Each of the diaper covers I bought have some pros and cons. I know there are a lot of different ones out there, but the three brands I went with were Flips, Thirsties, & GroVia. I went with a diaper cover that snaps down on itself to fit a newborn, and then you can unsnap it to make it bigger as the baby grows. So far they are all easy to put on, and they are all cute. The GroVia are the softest on the inside with a microfleece lining, and I love that, because it's soft against baby's skin...but I usually notice leakage into the leg gussets with a really poopy diaper :/  The Thirsties are easy to use, have a double leg gusset, and are easy to snap. However, where it snaps along the waistline, the snap closures are all in the same row...whereas the Flips close very similarly, but have two snaps at the closure, in two rows, so to me it looks like a more comfortable fit. I of course haven't worn any of them, and Tri can't talk yet, so the jury's out on whether or not this has any truth to it! Honestly though, the ONLY blowout diapers that Tri has had where it goes up his back, you know the ones...has been in a disposable diaper!

The part I was most dreading I guess was washing the diapers. After talking with Sarah, however, I learned all kinds of tricks and methods to make this dirty task less daunting. She told me that strictly breastfed baby's diapers can be washed in the washer without needing rinsed or sprayed off first...UNLESS I wanted to. Before you throw up in your mouth...give it a moment and read on. Breastfed baby poop really doesn't have a smell, and it like disintegrates in water. Has your baby ever had a blowout and you soak their super cute outfit in soapy water, or wash it off? Then you've experienced this celestial wonder. Let's get some things on record here...I only wash Tri's diapers with other diapers. I don't wash diapers with clothes and blankets, etc. Although I could. I bring his wetbag down to the wash, unzip it and empty it into the washer, then I throw the wetbag in with everything else, and I run my washer on HOT, with an extra rinse cycle, NO SOAP- this is round 1. Round 2- I put in a little Mrs. Meyers laundry detergent and about a teaspoon of Hydrogen Peroxide, and set the washer to 'HEAVY DUTY' (obviously for the doody) with an extra rinse cycle, on WARM, and I walk away to eat chocolate and drink wine...or to let the washer do it's thing.  :D  

Once the diapers are washed you have 2 options... 1)hang them to dry, either in your laundry room, or in the sun (faster and the sun bleaches out any stains they might have). Or 2) put them in the dryer (even faster) but DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put dryer sheets in with the diapers, because they will leave oils & residue in the diapers that will make them less absorbent...and may create a funky smell. (or so I've read & I'm not willing to make that gamble!) I wash diapers about every other day, Tri goes to daycare and our provider was willing to use the cloth diapers, she agreed they aren't a big deal once you get the hang of it! My mom and sister have watched me change a cloth diaper, but haven't done it yet...not that I make it a habit to have other people change my child's diaper, but they were inquisitive. When Tri goes to grandmas, or is in someone else's care, we send him with the seventh generation, plant based disposable diapers (gasp!) I know I know...who am I? And when we put on his nighttime diaper, it's again the disposable seventh generation ones...truly I do feel a tad less of superhero by doing this, BUT he's a fantastic sleeper!!! He'll sleep 9-11 hours through the night and I am not a crazy woman, I am NOT going to wake him up for a diaper change! Alas, that leaves me no choice but to use a disposable through the night, he's happy, I'm happy, we both sleep great, and I still feel better about really cutting down on the use of disposable diapers!

I still feel good about my choice to cloth diaper my boy...when he starts on solid foods that will definitely make my life a little less rainbows & butterflies. When they eat real food...poop gets real. I'll be doing some rinsing...some spraying, some scraping, I'm not even sure yet what will happen, but it won't be as easy as it is right now :/  So, until we start on foods...this is my update! 

Pumping Bottles in the Club...er Clinic

Today I want to talk about breastfeeding. There are numerous benefits for both mom and baby; antibodies being passed through breast milk to help babies immune system, biofeedback between mom and baby that initiate biological hormone cascades for both, a complete nutritional profile for baby for proper nutrition and easy digestion to name a few. The ONLY somewhat down side of breastfeeding...is that it takes up mom's time. So, if you have multiple littles running around, mom can't be tied up too long before being needed by them. Or if you are a full-time working mother, you can't be away from baby for too long before you are needed for another feeding. Enter...the breast pump. 

When I had my first two babies, I was a full-time student and I also worked part-time...and as I've mentioned before I was a single mom. I didn't have a breast pump for either of them, because even if my insurance would have covered it, no one pointed me in that direction, so I was none the wiser. I felt like I was in survival mode in those years, but I truly wanted to breast feed my kids, and I would have at least entertained the idea of a pumping schedule to make sure my kids had the best nutrition available. I was very young however, and at that point I didn't know what I know today. As they say...hind sight is 20/20! I nursed Keaton & Reese as long as I could before going back to classes or work full time which was about 3-4 months for both, and then they were supplemented with formula. When I became pregnant this time, I had planned and researched and prepared myself and my husband for certain things I wanted to make sure and do this time around! One of my top goals this time, is to breast feed baby Tri for his first year. Obviously he'll start on solid foods at some point during the year so it wouldn't be exclusively breast feeding for the ENTIRE year. Most insurance company's will cover the cost of a breast pump, which is huge, and when I called on our insurance to confirm it, that was a big win! 

I read all kinds of pumping schedules and breast feeding schedules, but since I was returning to work after only 4 weeks of maternity leave...most of them didn't apply to my timeline. I spoke with my incredibly knowledgeable midwife and worked out an idea of when would be the best time to begin pumping, and working on a milk supply stockpile lol. Sarah suggested waiting until the 'engorgement phase'(when your milk first comes in) is over, because the body works on a supply & demand basis to produce milk, she said to let my body establish what kind of supply I'd need to feed Tri first. She said after the baby was about 10 days to 2 weeks old, that would be a good time to start using my breast pump. Now, obviously everyone is different, some women like to nurse on one side while they pump on the other, I prefer to nurse Tri first. I love that it is just our time together, to connect, and I talk or sing to him, and I know he'll be a big boy all too soon, so I just want to soak up every moment of him being a baby. 

So, I nurse Tri first, and then pump. I first started pumping in the second week after he was born, and I began just by pumping after my initial morning feeding anywhere between 5:30-7:30 a.m. According to research, our bodies produce the most milk in those early morning hours, so you will get the most milk in that time frame compared to later in the day. I was pumping 2-3 times each day, with my morning session producing the most. I was just slowly working my way up to when I went back to work two weeks later. I started back to work 3 days a week at first, leaving two days at home. On my work days I would get up to nurse Tri, and then pump as usual following his first feeding. Then I had time set aside to pump once in the morning and once in the afternoon during my work day. On my days off I would pump after I'd nurse Tri first thing in the morning, and then just solely nurse him throughout the day. Sarah told me it's beneficial for baby and mom's milk supply to have days that you only nurse, that the skin to skin contact helps drive the milk supply. She also said that if at anytime mom feels like her milk supply is decreasing, to spend some skin to skin time with baby whether that's a nap together, or a few hours during the day where you're totally skin to skin because that helps stimulate milk supply as well. 

So far I haven't had issues with milk supply, but I have noticed that if I don't drink enough water, or eat enough that the following day I don't have as much milk during my early morning pumping session. Making sure to get plenty of water, (I drink between 120-180 ounces everyday) and getting plenty of nutrient dense food & calories (I don't count but if I had to guess it's probably between 2,000-2,500 calories) each day, my milk is on point! If I work out that day I add both water and calories. Research suggests that breastfeeding mom's need an extra 500 calories each day for milk supply, so it's important to nourish your system especially when you begin workouts! 

Now that I'm at work most days here's an example of my pumping/feeding schedule:

7:30 a.m. - wake Tri up, nurse him, and then pump for 15 mins.

10:00-10:30 a.m.- pump at work for 15-20 mins.

2:30-3:00 p.m. - pump at work for 15-20 mins

Then when I get home for the day, I nurse him until bed time pretty much on demand, but he usually only nurses twice before bed. On weekends, or days off, I still try to get that pumping session in after his initial feeding, but I've missed a day here and there, and as long as I hydrate and stick to my schedule the best I can, it hasn't caused any issues with my supply. I do feel like pumping is a labor of love, but it's very important to me to do what's best for my baby, and this is what I want for him. 

I have found all kinds of good information from foods that are helpful for lactation, to ways to store breast milk mostly on Pinterest. I bought these freezer bags for milk storage, and I found a method on Pinterest where you freeze them lying flat. For storage you cut a slit in the side of a gift bag, and then stack your frozen milk so that you grab a bag from the bottom which would be the oldest milk first. So far I have 4.5 gift bags full of milk in our deep freeze. Breast milk stays good in the freezer for up to 6 months at a time, so I wanted to get a little bit ahead. Now that I'm back to work full time I'm hoping it leaves enough of a cushion to keep building! 

There I'm done saying breast milk, breastfeeding, and pumping for this post :D